Enhanced self-testing kiosk for pollutive bikes to be trialled at Woodlands Checkpoint by early 2027

SINGAPORE – Motorcyclists entering Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint may be randomly picked to have their vehicles’ emissions tested by a new and improved self-testing kiosk when it is ready by early 2027.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it will be testing out one kiosk first to evaluate its self-testing abilities and user experience, before deciding if it should scale up deployment.

The new motorcycle emissions self-testing kiosk – which allows motorcyclists to complete emissions tests under remote supervision by an NEA officer – will help ensure that motorcycles entering Singapore meet the required emissions standards here.

It comes after stricter carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon limits kicked in from 2023, with those who exceed the set pollution thresholds facing enforcement action.

The NEA is now seeking tenders for the new kiosk. Based on tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz on March 5, the new self-testing kiosk should build on findings from a prototype kiosk that was trialled by the agency and be an enhanced version of the system with “improved functionality, user experience and operational efficiency”.

Those bidding for the project can propose an entirely new system from scratch or upgrade the existing system using some or all of the current components.

NEA is hoping to engage firms with experience in similar projects, and those bidding for this project would have to come up with a concept design for the kiosk. NEA will pick the contractor based on its record, the points awarded for its concept design and proposed equipment. The tender for the development of the new kiosk closes at 4pm on March 31.

In response to queries, NEA said the “successful” trial with the prototype kiosk took place between November 2023 and February 2024, with more than 700 motorcycles tested after being randomly selected.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, in response to a parliamentary question in March, said that throughout the trial, enforcement action was taken against around 230 motorcyclists whose vehicles exceeded exhaust emissions limits.

According to NEA’s website, owners of such vehicles can be fined up to $2,000 for the first offence and $5,000 for subsequent offences, if convicted in court.

Following the trial of the self-testing kiosk, NEA had flagged several areas for improvement, including the lack of intuitive interface design and on-screen instructions, which led to users needing NEA officers to prompt them verbally through the intercom.

To resolve this, NEA hopes the new kiosk will integrate an interactive LED communications panel with simple self-explanatory instructions and commonly used icons to illustrate the steps for motorcyclists to carry out emissions testing.

The kiosk should also come with a video guide to teach motorcyclists who are unfamiliar with the system how to perform the test.

The trial also found language challenges for a small group of riders who had limited reading ability. The new touchscreen panel should therefore include more visual and audio aids and the option for motorcyclists to select their preferred language – English, Mandarin, Malay or Tamil – for instructions.

In addition, the new kiosk should feature cameras, microphones and speakers for two-way communication between the control room and self-testing kiosk – similar to that of a video teller machine.

This is to improve communication, which the trial found to be a potential issue, as loud background noise at the site can make communication between the officer in the control room and the motorcyclist at the kiosk challenging.

NEA noted that the new testing kiosk can potentially help ramp up operations, as one officer can oversee the simultaneous testing of several motorcycles, compared with the current situation at checkpoints, where each motorcycle’s emissions test is managed by at least one officer.

On average, 936 pollutive motorcycles were detected at the checkpoints yearly from 2023 to 2025.

The agency is also looking to integrate CCTV cameras that can pan, tilt and zoom in the new system. These video recordings should be displayed live for the NEA officer to view from the control room.

Features that can be carried over from the prototype to the improved system are a CCTV camera that can read licence plate information and check if visible smoke is emitted from the vehicle, as well as a built-in probe for the hydrocarbon-carbon monoxide meter.

Dr Charlene Chen, an MP for Tampines GRC, had raised questions in Parliament about the emissions self-testing prototype earlier in March.

She told The Straits Times that she had asked those questions because of the motorcycle traffic noise issues along the TPE that often wake her residents up in the wee hours every morning.

Dr Chen added that enforcement exercises along the TPE have not improved the situation, and she wanted to find out more about the enforcement meted out on non-compliant motorcycles at the borders.

From April 2023, local motorbikes registered before July 1, 2003, and all foreign-registered motorcycles must meet the new emissions limits of 4.5 per cent carbon monoxide by volume, and 7,800 parts per million (ppm) of hydrocarbon for two-stroke engines, or 2,000 ppm of hydrocarbon for four-stroke engines.